This Week Sports Headlines

Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoBROOKE L
aVALLEY |
DISPATCHHartley running back Sam Mackowiak scores on a short run despite being tackled by St. Charles’ Gabe Klinger (40). The touchdown let the Hawks reclaim the lead in the second quarter.

Trailing by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter, St. Charles had its chance, driving at
Hartley’s 37-yard line.

But a botched handoff resulted in a fumble that was scooped up by Hartley junior linebacker Jack
Zang.

“I saw a gap and just filled it,” said Zang, who led the Hawks with 41/2 tackles. “The ball,
fortunately, was on the ground. I had no choice but to recover it.”

St. Charles didn’t get another chance last night. After Zang’s recovery, Hartley ran out the
remaining six minutes on the clock for a 20-7 win at Jack Ryan Field in the teams’ first meeting
since 1988.

For the Hawks (3-1), it also was their second consecutive victory after falling to Coldwater
41-6 on Sept. 6.

“The thing I’m most proud about after all these years is we’re able to play with teams much
bigger than us, be competitive with them and have a chance to win,” Hartley coach Brad Burchfield
said. “When it’s all said and done, long after we’re all gone, this is going to be the thing I look
back on as monumental: that we were able to play with these” Central Catholic League schools.

The Hawks struck early against the Cardinals (2-2). Midway through the first quarter, senior
receiver Jacob Mercier turned a short pass from senior quarterback Jared Brandewie into a 31-yard
touchdown catch, shifting past several defenders and sprinting across the field for the score.
Hartley led 6-0 after the extra-point attempt was blocked.

St. Charles responded on its next drive when senior running back John Quinn scored on a 2-yard
touchdown run. The offense had moved the ball inside the 10 when junior receiver NiQuille Bell took
a reverse toss for 44 yards. It proved, though, to be St. Charles’ lone scoring drive.

“I don’t think we played to our potential,” St. Charles coach Jeff Pharion said. “Our offense is
much better than seven points.”

Trailing 7-6, Hartley took the lead back on its next drive, going 75 yards in six minutes,
relying on the legs of Brandewie and senior running back Sam Mackowiak. Brandewie ran for 35 yards
on fourth-and-4, and Mackowiak eventually scored on a 1-yard run.

The backfield tandem combined for 258 rushing yards on 52 carries.

Senior kicker Collin Barringer added 31- and 27-yard field goals in the third quarter to give
Hartley a two-score lead.

“They deserve to be an ecstatic group and celebrate a big win,” Burchfield said. “This is a
great football win. These wins are important. You go through a season, there are ups and downs,
there’s learning, growing and building, but it’s important to play well against CCL teams.”